In a trust-based system on a computing device, access to an entity such as digital content, a computer application, or the like, is restricted based on pre-defined access requirements such as may be embodied in the form of a digital license corresponding to the content. However, not all content available to the computing device is access-restricted by way of the trust-based system.
One particularly well-known example of non-access-restricted content is audio content such as music recorded on a compact disc (CD) according to the well-known CD (Compact Disc) format. Currently, such CD with recorded audio content thereon faces a serious problem in that the content is not encrypted or otherwise protected. Accordingly, practically any user at a computing device having a CD drive and appropriate CD-reading software can read the content and store same in a memory on the computing device.
Moreover, although a typical piece of content is recorded on a CD in a ‘Red Book’ format that requires about 8 or 9 megabytes of storage space per minute of content, the same content once read can be re-written onto the memory of the computing device in a format the requires about 1 or 1.5 megabytes per minute or even less while still maintaining excellent fidelity. Thus, content such as a popular song can be copied or ‘ripped’ from a CD and stored on the computing device in a relatively small amount of memory space. More significantly, such song can then be widely distributed in an unfettered manner to other users, perhaps over a network such as the Internet, practically without any limitation.
One method for addressing this problem is to hinder the ability of a computing device to read content in the Red Book format from a CD. However, such a solution leaves a legitimate user without the ability to perform any copying, even when otherwise permitted to do so.
Accordingly, a need exists for a method and mechanism whereby a medium such as a CD or the like is copy-protected so as to prevent unfettered distribution of the content thereon, while still allowing copying of the content to a computing device or the like. In particular, a need exists for a license generator on the CD that requires that the content be copied in a copy-protected format accessible only by way of a corresponding digital license, and that generates the license in combination with a trust-based system on the computing device.